Slovakia Restores Military Jánošík Ensemble Despite Previous Cost-Cutting Abolition

Slovakia's Defense Ministry under Minister Robert Kaliňák is restoring the military Jánošík ensemble, despite the fact that the same cultural unit was previously abolished as a cost-saving measure. The revival comes during a period of government budget consolidation efforts aimed at reducing public spending. When asked about the financial costs of reestablishing the military cultural group, Kaliňák, a member of the ruling Smer-SD party, declined to provide specifics and told reporters to "ask me in two to three months." The decision appears to contradict the government's stated commitment to fiscal austerity, as the ensemble was originally disbanded precisely to save money in the defense budget.